Improvement in folding racks for towels



STATES PATET OFFICE.

JAMES T. SHERWIN, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDINGVRACKS FOR TOWELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 161,560, dated March30, 1875 application filed November 28, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES T. SHERWIN, of Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new anduseful Folding Back for Towels, 850.; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings whichform a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspectiveview. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View.

My invention has for its object to provide a hanging rack that may befolded into small space for transportation and other purposes.

My invention consists of a hanging rack formed of wooden rounds andwires united, as hereinafter set forth, and designed to hold towels, &c.

In the accompanying drawing, AA are two straight wires, formed with eyesa a, by which the rack is to be hung on hooks or nails in the wall. B Bare two wooden rounds, to which the wires A A are attached, said wirespassing completely through the round B and only partly through the roundB. A is an intermediate wire, added for strengthening purposes, its endsbeing inserted firmly in the rounds B B. These three wires and tworounds form the back or stationary part of the rack. The front orfolding part of the rack consists of one or more rounds, G 0, throughwhich pass wires D D, whose lower extremities are bent and inserted inthe ends of the round B in such manner as to turn pivotally therein,allowing the front of the rack to be folded up against the back, asshown in dotted lines. To secure the front, when thus folded, fromfalling by gravity, the round B is made a little longer than thedistance between the points 0 c. This causes the wires D D to beslightly bent outwardly or laterally between the rounds B and 0, thusproducing a spring which will serve to keep the front up when folded. Toprevent the front or folding part of the rack from coming down too far,limiting-chains E E are employed.

I have shown and described this rack as to be employed for towels, butit may be used for a variety of other purposes, as for holdingdifferent'sized sheets of wrapping-paperin stores.

I am aware that racks having wooden rounds and wire sides are known. Sofar as I am aware, however, these racks have heretofore been madestanding, and, while not secure, yet theoretically incompressible orunyielding. I believe, also, that the wires and rounds of such rackshave been united by twisting or bending the former around the latter,While in my rack the wires pass into and through the rounds, as alreadydescribed, producing a much firmer and more secure article than washeretofore obtained.

In some cases I may substitute willow for the wires, but in the main Iconsider the latter preferable, as it possesses great strength andelasticity, with a capacity for ornamental finish not found in theother.

I claim- The improved rack, having the. vertical back and pivotedoutwardly-inclining front, formed of horizontal rounds andconnectingwires, the wires D D of the front being pivoted to the bar Bof the back and bent laterally between the rounds (I O, to producesprings, and the front and back being coupled by means of chains orconnections E, allsubstantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this14th day of November, 1874..

JAMES T. SHERWIN. Witnesses:

JNo. A. BELL, M. DANL. OoNNoLLY.

